Friday, February 12, 2010

What The Bible Really Says About Life After Death

This subject is pondered by mankind perhaps more than any other, yet it seems to remain a mystery to the minds of most of us. Of course every religion seems to have an answer of some kind, and all of them have certain elements in common. I will show you that the Bible reveals a very clear picture of what we can expect to experience when we leave this life. These things were taught from the beginning of earth’s adamic creation period, to Adam and Eve and were perpetuated by the prophetic patriarchs that followed them, and they remain in the Bible today.

A little historical examination seems to reveal that over the generations, as men began to multiply and spread across the earth, and as they began to rebel and to separate from the patriarchal leaders chosen by our Heavenly Parents, each group began to modify and change the true knowledge with which they were originally endowed to conform to their own personal preferences. Thus we have the various philosophies of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Muslim, Judaism and Christianity, to name a few that are among the most well-known religions that have survived to the modern era.

Each of these philosophies has preserved certain truths and each has developed certain spiritual powers in conformity with their chosen points of emphasis. But they have all lost so much knowledge as a result of their rebellion against the Spirit of Truth. Even amongst the several Christian sects there is much variation as to their teachings and beliefs regarding that which awaits us when we leave the world of mortality. Based on their unique own interpretations of the scriptures some believe that when a man dies, unless he is properly baptized, he must go to a place of suffering. Others think that man has no individual soul, so he ceases to exist until the resurrection.

In order to arrive at a true and accurate understanding of what the Bible really reveals regarding this or any other theme, according to our Saviour at least three things are required: 1] a perpetual dedication to the study of the Bible and of things related thereto (If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:31-32); 2] reliance on guidance from the Spirit of Truth (Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:3) and 3] living so as to be available to the guidance of the Spirit of Truth (Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20-21); But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. (1 Cor. 2:14-15)

With these things in mind and practice, you can learn many things from the Bible about life after death. However, in order to do so it is also often necessary to revert back to the original language of the Bible scribes to discover the accurate meanings of the words that have sometimes been loosely translated into English. This is in order to avoid the weaknesses that often accompany the arm of flesh. Take for example the two Old Testament Hebrew words, Sheol or sheole and qeber or qebuwrah. Both of these words are often interpreted in English to mean grave, sepulcher or burying place, but in reality they have two very distinct meanings. Sheol actually means underworld, abode of the dead, or place of punishment or exile, while the meaning of qeber is clearly known to be burial place, grave, sepulchre or burial site.

The diverse nuances of these two words give them obviously very different meanings. Qeber plainly refers to the place where a dead and lifeless body is buried, but Sheol, although also often translated as 'hell', evidently illustrates a vastly different situation, described as a separate ‘under’world where sentient beings, whatever their nature, may reside for a time and experience the consequences of censure and discipline.

This same differentiation is found in the Greek scriptures of the New Testament. There, the two Greek words that are often translated into the English word ‘grave’ are Hades and mnemeion, but as in the case of the Hebrew translations, these two words actually have very different meanings. The word mnemeion does mean place of interment, grave, sepulchre or tomb as does the Hebrew qeber, but the word Hades means unseen place or abode or state of departed souls or spirits, which is very similar to the meaning of the Hebrew Sheol.

From the above research one can come to the clear realization that upon the departure from mortality, man becomes separated into two entities. The body which is left lifeless goes to the grave (qeber or mnemeion), and the soul or spirit which remains conscious and goes to the unseen abode of departed souls (Sheol or Hades).

In pursuit of an understanding of these things, as you study the scriptures, you will discover that the Hebrew Sheol and the Greek Hades are both frequently interpreted into the English hell. Why should the place where departed spirits dwell be referred to as hell? There is actually a very good explanation for this, and you can find answers in several places in the New Testament.

First consider the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, found in Luke 16:19-31. There we find that upon death these two men immediately went to very different circumstances where they were both conscious and sentient. Lazarus died first and was taken by angels to a good place described as ‘Abraham’s bosom’. But when the rich man died we are told he found himself in hell [Hades]. Now according to what we have learned so far, the spirits of both of these men were in the place called Sheol or Hades, so how could the rich man be described as suffering in ‘hell’ while Lazarus is in comfort if they are both essentially in Sheol or Hades?

To clarify the situation consider also the words of our Saviour to the thief while they were both dying side by side on crosses. Shortly before his dying we are told: And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) and we are further told by Peter that when Christ died he went to preach to the ‘spirits in prison’, referring to those that had been disobedient and had drowned during the great flood. Peter declared, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.(1 Peter 3:18-20)

Thus it is clearly shown in the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, and also in the death of Christ, himself, the the dwelling place of spirits after they die, known as Sheol or Hades, is divided into two parts. One part is reserved for the repentant and the righteous and is known in scripture as the ‘bosom of Abraham’ and as ‘paradise’. The other part is the abode of those that are disobedient to the laws of God. In the Bible that place is translated both as ‘hell’ and as ‘spirit prison’.

It must be remembered, however, that even though the paradise section of this spirit world is sometimes called heaven and the prison section is often referred to as ‘hell’, both of these places are only temporary dwellings. There are numerous scriptures that talk about a great and final day of judgment. John describes it like this, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelations 20:12-15)

Our Saviour talks about the heavens saying, “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:2-3)

Paul also gives us some insights regarding the nature of the next life telling us, “There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (1 Cor. 15:40-44)

You can see that both the Lord and Paul have described a future place in the heavens that is very diverse in nature, Christ saying there are ‘many mansion’ and the apostle tells us that the stars all differ in glory, saying ‘so also is the resurrection of the dead.’ But we do not go to this future place until after we have first spent some time in Sheol/Hades, and until after that great day of judgment. But hopefully we have learned that the time spent in that spirit world is certainly not wasted.

We must realize that not only is the period of our mortality a time of learning and preparation, but it appears that the time that we spend in Sheol/Hades, whether it is in the spirit prison section or the paradise section, must also be a time of learning and preparation. Why else would the rich man in ‘hell’ have carried on the conversation with Abraham, and why else would the Lord have gone and preached to the spirits in prison right after he was crucified. Peter gives a good clarification for this when he explains that Christ went and preached to those spirits of the dead, and Peter then continues saying, “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6)

Those in the temporary ‘hell’ of spirit prison were taught by Christ, but it also appears that they had access to such righteous men as Abraham. But those in ‘paradise’ certainly must be learning and progressing as well, because being ‘good’ is not sufficient. Did not Christ also say “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) and “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:48) Are these things no longer expected goals one we arrive at the life to come? We must continue progressing at least until the final judgment

Just because we have arrived at paradise obviously does not mean we have acquired a sufficient knowledge of the truth, and until we do we cannot become perfect as is our Father which is in heaven, and as the Lord has told us, we cannot be free until we do. So we can be sure that we must continue in his word, and continue to learn and continue to prepare ourselves in the next life. As Paul told the pagan Greeks, we are all the ‘offspring [kindred stock]of God’ (Acts 17:26-29).